Category: maternal mortality

Last weekend, SAFE Founder Jacqueline Cutts and Technical Director Richard Cutts (along with their son, Jacob) headed to Berkeley, CA to be trained in the installation, repair, maintenance, and usage of the Solar Suitcase. Later this month, SAFE will receive 20 Solar Suitcases to install in Ugandan health facilities, including the clinics with which we regularly work on other maternal and child health projects, in addition to the health centers and hospitals affiliated with several other partner organizations (including AMREF, UNICEF, and the Uganda Development and Health Associates, among others). We would like to give a HUGE thank you to the Segal Family Foundation for making this possible, as well as to WE CARE Solar for the incredible project, superior teaching skills, and partnership!!

SAFE stands with Health GAP (Global Access Project) in encouraging the Ugandan government to take action against maternal mortality and morbidity in Uganda by increasing the number of health care workers.

Later this week, a Ugandan court will hear the case of 2 women who died in childbirth, which argues that by failing to provide appropriate health services, the government is violating the Ugandan constitution. Every day, 16 women in Uganda die in childbirth, while 6 times as many are injured in incapacitating ways. SAFE affirms that these deaths and injuries are unacceptable–and that action must be taken to help Ugandan women realize their rights! For more information, please check out the following link: http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5712/p/salsa/web/questionnaire/public/?questionnaire_KEY=665

We are pleased to announce our partnership with Humless, Inc. on “Light the Night”–a project that will bring solar electricity to two rural health centers and the Iganga District Hospital Maternity Ward and Operating Theater. Humless, Inc. is a Utah-based solar company that developed highly efficient, lithium solar units. Bringing these units to Uganda will allow medical providers the light they need to provide adequate care; it will also help to increase the demand for services by strengthening public perception of the health centers. Finally, it will reduce deadly delays in cesarean sections (currently, they are sometimes done by flashlight or kerosene lantern). After a matching $5,000 grant from an anonymous donor, Humless is helping SAFE to fundraise the remaining money for the project. Please see video below to learn more about what we’re doing!